Indigenous peoples HIMBA community condemn RTL TV series “Wild Girls”

Namibia’s Indigenous peoples, the semi nomadic Himba people contacted our human rights organization Earth Peoples to help them stop and condemn the German RTL TV Reality show “Wild Girls”.

The Himba community informed Earth Peoples in various communications that they haven’t been informed about the mocking style in which the Himba are featured in the German RTL TV reality show. The Himba say that RTL had instead promised them to use the TV show to inform the German RTL series viewers about the human rights problems that the Himba are facing in Namibia, as well as to sensitize the world about the unique culture of the semi-nomadic Himba people.

As the Himba do not speak German, and only a handful of the village speaks English, the indigenous villagers had no way to understand the words and content of the RTL film crew and the 12 German girls, and that is very wrong” said Rebecca Sommer from Earth Peoples, who had stayed with the Himba communities during an Earth Peoples human rights seminar for 3 months in 2012, which resulted in several Himba Declarations signed by the chiefs and a visit by UN Special Rapportuer Anaya, that exposed the Namibian Government for severe human rights violations against the Himba people.

Especially RTL “Wild Girls” viewers are encouraged to click the link below to learn about the reality – not a show, but the real situation and problems of the Himba: List of Earth Peoples Himba articles

Community respected village leader, who is featured in the RTL series, was shocked when he heard from several German Tourists that he was featured as a “wild” man who “wanted the white girl Senna Gammour”

The main regional Chief, Kapika, from the entire region Epupa, signed the letter to Earth Peoples, in the hope that we can stop the TV series to continue. Unfortunately RTL already broadcasted Wild Girls, but it is our opinion that they must pay at least some damage for not informing the Himba people correctly, as well as for using and abusing the Himba by portraying them as “funny wild savages” as a stage for their “wild girls”. Also, considering what TV producers usually have to pay for location fees and salaries for participating and featured actors and persons, the list of RTL payments provided by Anitha Tjambiru, the English speaking Himba woman featured in the TV series, are an absolute outrage:

Direct copy of Anitha’s letter to us:

“Yes is me women and man 4 day the pay 5o ( 3.72 Euro/ 5.03 Dollar ) per person and for guide is 15o ( 11.17 Euro / 15.11 Dollar) for 4 days the own of the household 6o (4.46 Euro/ 6.04 Dollar) per day for 4 day. For the village is 10 000 (744.80 Euro / 1,007 Dollar) for use the village per day the give as food, maize 20 kg. Suger 2.5kg .Oil 2 liter and small things. 2 goats”

We will also organize that RTL hands us the DVDs with all the Episodes of the series, so that the Himba don’t need to listen to German Tourists but can see the TV series in which they are badly featured for themselves.

LETTER FROM THE HIMBA CONDEMNING RTL TV SERIES WILD GIRLS – ASKING EARTH PEOPLES FOR HELP TO INTERVENE ON THEIR BEHALF:

EPUPA COMMUNITY

KUNENE REGION

NAMIBIA

14 OCTOBER 2013

Re: Condemnation of WILD GIRLS film (RTL Reality Show)

We Epupa Community are not happy with a Film called “Wild Girls” or Movie of 12 Girls from Germany who were at Epupa in may 2013 this year, we as a community we really not happy with the above mentioned Film or movie of these people. We heard that film from our people staying in European countries and we also heard from our friends Tourist visited our area. After we realized that, we were naked and having sexual with those white girls, which was not true at all. We didn’t know that, that movie going to be positioned in that way, because they (RTL film team) told us that this nice movie, we thought may be just normal movies. This was shocked us to hear that we were involved in that stupid behaviors.

We strong condemn and stop that TV show not to contuinue showing untrue things and stupid activities, because it is really serious violation of our human rights and destroying the good image and culture.

Therefore we requesting Miss. Rebecca Sommer to intervene (on behalf of our community) in this story of the movie, in order to stop that obove mentioned Film not to continue showing that stupid TV show anymore. Further we ask mss Rebecca Sommer to demand (on our behalf) those 12 girls or wild girls to pay us money so that they can clean our names and image which they make it dirty for whole world, and we want you to go and get DVD from them and then send it to us so that we can watch it ourselves here.

We want this Film to stop right now, before we take further action !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yours sincere

Chief H. Kapika and Epupa Community including Tjikoko Kambindja and Tjikuva Hepute